Balancing revenue and user trust in mobility

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗖𝗗𝗥): 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Digitization has transformed how we live, work, and do business. But with these opportunities come ethical dilemmas, privacy concerns, and fairness risks. For companies, the challenge is no longer just how fast they can digitize, but how responsibly. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗗𝗥 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 Trust has become the true currency of digitization. No matter how advanced the technology, adoption only follows if people believe it is safe, fair, and ethical. Stakeholders i.e. customers, employees, regulators, and investors, want proof that businesses are not only legally compliant, but also addressing conflicts of interest and unintended harm. Companies that ignore this risk reputational damage, regulatory backlash, and erosion of customer loyalty. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗗𝗥 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 Corporate Digital Responsibility goes beyond compliance. It is about embedding values into how data and technology are created, operated, refined, and retained. It asks questions like: • Are we protecting customer privacy and wellbeing? • Do our algorithms treat people fairly, or do they reinforce bias? • Are our digital products designed with sustainability in mind? • How do we balance short-term profit with long-term trust? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗗𝗥 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝘀: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲-𝗢𝗳𝗳𝘀 Recent research introduces the idea of a CDR calculus: Value of good CDR = Mitigation of risks + Brand equity & trust − (Opportunity costs + Cost of robust CDR). This makes the trade-offs explicit: Monetizing more customer data may increase short-term revenue but risks long-term trust. Launching features quickly may save costs but could expose bias or privacy gaps. Investing in governance and culture feels expensive—but it reduces regulatory risk and builds brand equity that competitors can’t easily replicate. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲. Embed CDR into culture, roles, and governance. Measure explainability, track privacy incidents, and make digital ethics part of leadership KPIs. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻. Use the CDR calculus to balance revenue, risk, and trust. Make clear choices about what you will—and won’t—do with customer data. 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. CDR issues often arise at the boundaries—with partners, platforms, and third parties. Shared governance, due diligence, and aligned values are non-negotiable. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Good CDR pays twice. It reduces risks and creates competitive advantage by strengthening trust, loyalty, and long-term resilience. The winners of digital transformation will be those who innovate with integrity. Ref: Wirtz et al., Journal of Service Research, 2023

Is Trust and Safety a cost center? A cost center is a department in the organization that does not contribute to revenue and is only an expense to the company. #TrustandSafety has been identified as a cost center for a long time and this has come up more recently as a justification for the mass layoffs in the field. Those of us who work in T&S though know that this is a short-sighted view, but how do we convince others (including senior leaders) of this? Here are 3 frameworks to demonstrate how Trust and Safety contributes to revenue. 1. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. Jeff Dunn has a great post on this (which I'll link below). The basic premise is that products that provide a high quality, safe, and trusted experience are those that receive positive word of mouth, are recommended to family and friends, and grow naturally. On the flip-side, companies that only do the bare minimum generally suffer with organic growth, reputation, and often collapse from the bad image and lack of trust (think Omegle). 2. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐲. My time at Uber showed me that some groups of users would limit their usage of the app due to safety concerns. Even regular users would opt NOT take an Uber at night, alone, or for personal use. That's lost revenue. Investing in measures that give users the confidence to use a product freely grows the value a company provides to users and the value they provide to the company. 3. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐖𝐎𝐌. User acquisition is often expensive and poor experiences result in users leaving a platform and telling their friends. We know that safety issues are generally among the worst experiences a user can have. Not only does this mean companies lose customers, but it also creates friction to acquire new customers making user acquisition even more costly. Trust and Safety insulates and protects against this and smooths the acquisition process (see point 1). Cost centers only generate expenses to an organization while profit centers generate both revenue and expenses. It's time to reframe 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 to recognize the monetary (in addition to the ethical) value it brings. How do you view Trust and Safety and pitch its value within an organization?

Monetization is the cornerstone of any subscription app’s growth strategy—but when it's prioritized over user experience, it can backfire. Too many apps still rely on outdated, shady tactics to squeeze-out conversions. Things like: ❌ The fine print shuffle ❌ Guilt-tripping “confirm-shaming” ❌ Subscription traps ❌ Broken redirects ❌ Freemium tiers that feel more like ad prisons In my latest article, I unpack how harmful UX patterns not only frustrate users but also reduce trust, long-term retention, and revenue. Instead, ethical monetization strategies should follow these principles: ✅ Transparent communication – crystal-clear pricing, trial terms, and cancellation ✅ Value-driven freemium – free tiers that actually provide value ✅ Respectful marketing – highlight benefits, don’t manipulate ✅ Ethical free trials – no sneaky renewals, only timely reminders ✅ Smooth checkout flows – seamless transitions from mobile to web The best way to grow is rooted in trust, clarity, and long-term value. 👇🏻 Link in the comments. #appgrowth #uxdesign #subscriptionapps #ethicalmonetization #userexperience #productgrowth #mobileapps #retention #growthstrategy #PLG